Ashotyan: Armenia needs EaEU as much as EaEU needs Armenia

The deputy chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), Armenian Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan commented on the statements made at the Astana meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council on May 29.

When speaking about the concerns over setting up a customs border between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh after Armenia’s accession to the Agreement on the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU), Ashotyan said: “It is not an option. No person living and working in Armenia, let alone a figure engaged in politics considers this option. I cannot imagine a member of an Armenian party who would take seriously this absurd idea, let alone discuss it”.

“Armenia and the NKR make up a common space. Yes, the matter concerns two republics, but it is a common economic, educational and cultural space,” Armen Ashotyan noted, adding that Armenia has repeatedly stated that it is the guarantor of the security of the Artsakh people.

When asked why during the Astana meeting the Presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan did not discuss with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan the Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev’s letter, Armen Ashotyan replied that we have no right to ask such a question as those letters fall into the category of private correspondence.

“It is obvious that the Azerbaijani authorities are jealous of Armenia’s membership in the EaEU and realize its consequences. It is also obvious to all critics in Armenia that: if Armenia’s membership in EaEU were a negative or destructive phenomenon with adverse consequences, the Azerbaijani authorities would be glad to watch Armenia making this choice that critics describe as an incorrect geopolitical choice leading to a deadlock,” the minister noted.

In his words, such a reaction of the Azerbaijani authorities also confirms the circumstance that they calculated and envisaged all the positive results for Armenia – political, economic and military results that will become evident after the entry into the union so they are trying to prevent it.

Ashotyan stressed that the Azerbaijani side failed to do it because the entry issue does not depend on it. “I think Armenia will join the EaEU at the date announced yesterday and will become a full member of the union from January 1, 2015,” the minister said. According to him, yesterday’s statement cannot be an obstacle to Armenia’s entry into the union as Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia repeatedly underlined their interest in relations with Armenia.

“It is no secret that one of the forces in such organizations is a leading one. What I like about EaEU is that all the partners are equal and there is no overwhelming dominance of Russia. Moscow is only ready to promote proposals of its partners through discussions,” Ashotyan said in response to the question about why the presidents of three countries only spoke about their interests and did not discuss Armenia’s interests. “I think it is normal for the main countries to speak about the de jure formed ‘trio’. When the process of Armenia’s entry finishes, Armenia and the other countries will speak about their interests,” Ashotyan noted.

Armenia needs the entry into EaEU as much as EaEU needs Armenia, Armen Ashotyan said.